Gas turbine engines are commonly equipped with electric motor-based actuators (referred to herein as “motor actuators”), which are utilized to adjust certain movable components during engine operation. The maximum temperature capabilities of motor actuators can be limited due to the usage of organic dielectric materials to provide electrical insulation between windings within the stator. Polyimide, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and other organic polymers commonly utilized as dielectric coating and/or potting materials tend to breakdown and decompose at highly elevated temperatures exceeding, for example, about 260° C. In the vast majority of applications, the temperature limitations of the motor actuator are immaterial as the motor actuator is exposed to temperatures well-below such thermal extremes. Even when motor actuators are utilized within a gas turbine engine, the engine design can typically be adapted to spatially offset or otherwise thermally insulate the motor actuators from exposure to the highest temperatures generated during engine operation. This notwithstanding, efficiencies in gas turbine engine design can be obtained in certain instances by disposition of motor actuators in the hot section of a gas turbine engine and/or by operation of the gas turbine engine at higher core temperatures at which the thermal capabilities of conventional motor actuators can be undesirably limited.
There thus exists an ongoing need to provide embodiments of an electric motor-based actuator suitable for operation in high temperature applications characterized by maximum temperatures exceeding, for example, about 260° C. It would be desirable for such motor actuators to be useful for employment in both avionic and non-avionic applications. With respect to avionic applications, in particular, it would be desirable for such high temperature motor actuators to be relatively lightweight, compact, and insensitive to vibratory forces and, therefore, well-suited for usage within gas turbine engine actuation systems. Finally, it would be desirable to provide embodiments of a method for fabricating such high temperature motor actuators. Other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent Detailed Description and the appended Claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings and the foregoing Background.